AN INDEPENDENCE FROM EUROPEFormer UK MEP Mike Nattrass

Church 'content' for parking on gravestones to
continue

Church leaders at a place of worship in Birmingham say
they are ‘content’ to allow parking to continue on
top of historic gravestones, much to the dismay of West Midlands
MEP Mike Nattrass.

The Reverend Mary Gilbert, who is the Vicar at St Paul’s
Church, has told Stephen Hughes, Chief Executive of Birmingham
City Council, she is content for Georgian and Victorian
gravestones to continue to be used as a surface for car parking
spaces despite UKIP MEP Mike Nattrass calling for the cracking
stones to be relocated.

Mr Nattrass wrote to Birmingham City Council earlier this year
concerning the disrespectful use of memorials as paving for
parking at St Paul’s churchyard in the Jewellery
Quarter.

But, Mr Hughes has confirmed the council has no identifiable
budget to fund a project, which officers at the local authority
estimate would cost £20,000, to resurface the parking area and
end the parking on gravestones.

In his letter, Mr Hughes stated: “Officers have recently
spoken to the Vicar at St Paul’s who is content to see the
existing area used for parking with the likelihood that, if the
gravestones were removed, they would have to be broken up as they
are already damaged.

“The cost of removing them and resurfacing the area
concerned is likely to be circa £20,000 and this is not felt to
represent good value for money from the public purse particularly
given these austere times. In any event no identifiable budget is
currently available.

“However, if funds could be found to progress matters,
this would initially be a matter for the Church. As a closed
churchyard, a Bishop’s Faculty application would need to be
submitted to the Diocesan office to approve such
works.”

But, Mr Nattrass this week said he is deeply saddened by the
news and that the parking on the ancient gravestones will
continue.

Mr Nattrass said: “It is deeply disrespectful to park on
these memorials and I strongly believe the wishes of those
individuals buried in the churchyard, have been disregarded.

“When these gravestones were relocated to their present
site I believe there was never an intention for them to be used
as a surface for parking.

“These gravestones should either be cordoned off or be
relocated to a fitting grassed area within the churchyard. Surely
these stones should be preserved for future generations. This is
an embarrassing situation that should never have arisen,”
he added.

Promoted by Mike Nattrass on behalf of Independence from Europe, both at 48, Fentham Road, Hampton in
Arden, B92 0AY.
Copyright 2014 Mike Nattrass MEP. All rights reserved.
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acknowledged.